Jargon is a bit of a pet peeve for us because who talks like that?!? People who use jargon sound like blowhards more often than not. It’s not cool, and it doesn’t make you seem like the smartest person in the room. It does make you sound douchey, though.

Just learn what the jargon means and then be yourself. Speak like a person. Here’s a short list of some of the most used jargon in marketing and communications right now…but we’re sure this list will grow:

Ad Tech: Advertising Technology

Refers to the use of technology and digital tools to optimize and automate various aspects of advertising and marketing campaigns. It encompasses the software platforms, data analytics, and digital infrastructure used by advertisers, marketers, publishers, and ad agencies to plan, execute, track, and analyze advertising efforts across different channels and formats.

AI: Artificial Intelligence

Refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, reasoning, perception, and decision-making. AI like Chat GPT mimic cognitive functions and processes, analyze data, recognize patterns, and adapt to new situations.

CRM: Customer Relationship Management

A business strategy and a set of practices and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. CRM aims to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and overall business performance by effectively managing customer interactions, sales processes, and marketing activities. (ex. Salesforce)

CX: Customer Experience

Refers to the overall perception, feelings, and interactions that customers have with a company or brand throughout their entire journey, from the initial contact to post-purchase support. CX encompasses every touchpoint and interaction that a customer has with a business, including pre-sales, sales, and post-sales interactions.

DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

It is a collective term that represents a set of principles, practices, and initiatives aimed at promoting fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or any other dimension of diversity.

Ed Tech: Education Technology

Refers to the use of technology to enhance and improve the learning and teaching process. It encompasses the development, implementation, and utilization of various digital tools, platforms, software applications, and educational resources that support educational activities.

Full Stack:

The combination of skills and expertise required to develop both the front-end (client-side) and back-end (server-side) components of a software application. A full stack developer is someone who is proficient in working with both the front-end and back-end technologies, enabling them to handle all aspects of application development.

GTM: Go To Market

Go to market (GTM) refers to the strategic process or plan that a company or organization follows to bring a product or service to market and make it available to customers. It encompasses all the activities and decisions involved in launching, promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service effectively.

KPI: Key Performance Indicators

A measurable metric or data point used to evaluate the performance and progress of an individual, team, department, or organization towards achieving specific objectives or goals. KPIs are essential for monitoring performance, identifying areas of improvement, and making data-driven decisions.

MQL: Marketing Qualified Lead

A term commonly used in marketing and sales to categorize leads or prospects based on their level of engagement and readiness to be passed from marketing to the sales team for further nurturing and potential conversion into a customer.

Player/Coach:

The term "player/coach" refers to an individual who holds dual roles within a team or organization. In this context, the person is both an active participant (player) in the field of play or in a specific role, and also assumes coaching responsibilities, providing guidance and instruction to other members of the team.

RFQ: Request for Quote

It is a document or formal process used by organizations to request price quotes or bids from suppliers or vendors for specific products, services, or projects. An RFQ is typically sent to multiple potential suppliers to gather pricing information and other relevant details to make informed purchasing decisions.

ROI: Return on Investment

It is a financial metric used to measure the profitability and efficiency of an investment or business initiative. ROI calculates the return or gain generated from an investment relative to its cost. It provides a quantitative assessment of the profitability and effectiveness of an investment by comparing the net profit or benefit with the initial investment.

The formula to calculate ROI is as follows: ROI = (Net Profit / Cost of Investment) * 100

RTM: Route to Market/Real-Time Marketing

Route to Market refers to the strategy and approach a company uses to bring its products or services to market and deliver them to customers. It encompasses the various channels, distribution methods, and processes involved in reaching and engaging with target customers.

Real-Time Marketing refers to marketing strategies and activities that are executed in response to real-time events or trends as they occur. It involves leveraging immediate and relevant opportunities to engage with customers, create buzz, and generate timely and personalized marketing messages.

SAAS: Software As A Service

It is a software distribution model in which software applications are delivered over the internet on a subscription basis. In the SAAS model, the software is hosted and maintained by a service provider, who is responsible for all the underlying infrastructure, security, and updates.

SEO: Search engine optimization

The practice of optimizing a website or online content to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal of SEO is to increase organic (non-paid) traffic to a website by making it more search engine-friendly.

SEO involves various techniques and strategies to enhance a website's visibility to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. These techniques can include:

1. Keyword research: Identifying the words and phrases users are likely to search for when looking for relevant content.

2. On-page optimization: Optimizing individual web pages by incorporating relevant keywords in page titles, headings, meta tags, and content.

3. Off-page optimization: Building high-quality backlinks from other websites to increase a website's authority and credibility.

4. Technical optimization: Ensuring that a website is accessible to search engine crawlers and has a user-friendly structure, including fast loading times and mobile responsiveness.

5. Content creation: Developing high-quality, informative, and engaging content that satisfies the needs of the target audience and aligns with search intent.

6. User experience (UX) optimization: Improving the overall user experience on a website by enhancing navigation, reducing bounce rates, and improving site performance.

   By implementing effective SEO strategies, websites can improve their rankings in search engine results, leading to increased visibility, organic traffic, and potential conversions or sales.

Tech Stack: Technology Stack

Refers to a combination of software tools, programming languages, frameworks, libraries, and other technologies that are used to develop and operate a software application or system. It encompasses the entire set of technologies and components that work together to build and support an application's infrastructure and functionality.

UX: User Experience

It refers to the overall experience and satisfaction that a user has when interacting with a product, system, or service. UX encompasses all aspects of a user's interaction, including their perception, emotions, behaviors, and attitudes towards the product.